James Bond has persevered through some daunting challenges since he joined the film world in 1962’s Dr. No. In addition to a radically altered geo-political map, he’s overcome a parade of new actors in his and other shoes, constantly shifting sands at the studios and the sling and arrows of rageous fortunes.

Still along with the likes of Sherlock Holmes and Dracula he’s maintained enormous popularity and good will. Quantum of Solace, the 22nd incarnation under the Broccoli stewardship, is apt to shake not stir his fan base. It’s unquestionably a lesser effort that’s saddled with a confused plot and a directorial hand clearly more intrigued and fascinated at pushing the bounds of the character’s psychological profile than capable of adroitly dispensing the physical requisite of thrills and stunts that’s become the franchise signature.

The new film, unlike past outings, connects to the immediate prior episode when Bond (Daniel Craig) became emotionally involved with Vesper. Of course in his realm affection leads to death and there are outstanding issues of loyalty and reciprocity that hang over the relationship. Certainly his steely exterior reflects the title’s allusion to no more than a smattering of emotion. The limited fun occurs when a glimmer of something a bit more human leaks out or is hinted at in one of those knowing glances.

But Quantum also appears to be the name of a secret society on the order of SPECTRE, the fictional, non-aligned evildoers of early Bond novels and movies. We’re told “they’re” everywhere by a baddie during an interrogation and that’s underlined by an MI5 agent who attempts to murder fellow agents and the agency’s chief M.

The film’s chief villain, the slightly unctuous Frenchman Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric), sports a discreet “Q” as a lapel pin. However, that’s about all one has to connect the dots. One can posit that this is an order of malicious Masons but any sense of a structure or intent is left to the imagination.

While most Bond scripts can be described as functional they have been effective at establishing the threat and tying up all the threads of sometimes internecine plots. Quantum of Solace might be charitably described as the semblance of a story that periodically peaks out between action set pieces. It has something to do with Greene’s involvement with a Bolivian military strongman preparing a political coup and the natural resources Greene will control under the new dictatorship.

Additionally, there’s a revenge thread involving double agent Camille that targets the fledgling Bolivian leader. And Bond’s personal need for retribution gets tangled up here in a fashion that bonds the two as kindred spirits. However, it’s best not to dwell on any of this because the logic is frustrating and the screenwriter’s idea of dramatic resolution invariably comes at the end of a gun and the expiration of a plot cog.

One might hope to find solace in the adrenaline pounding chases and pyrotechnics that inform this sort of spy yarn. But here too director Marc Forster (and his second unit) proves inept. The die is cast in the opening sequence as cars snake through the narrow byways of Northern Italy at breakneck speed. Naturally the pursuit would be impossible were it not for pinpoint staging but in this instance the filmmakers simply fail at suspending disbelief with flash cuts and extreme close-ups that ramp up the artifice.

Forster, hitherto not known for visceral projects, is a curious choice to helm a Bond and displays wrong headed notions for marrying the drama and mayhem that comes with the territory. He’s a student rather than a teacher and his idea of innovation is to cull inspiration from other films (clearly but not exclusively the Bourne movies) rather than delving deeper into the source. He has a penchant for cross cutting that reaches the peak of preciousness as Bond pursues a villain at an opera house where the tragedy of Tosca unfolds simultaneously.

Quantum of Solace won’t be a deal breaker with movie goers – it’s impossible to imagine that a single misstep could upend five decades of good will. But clearly it points out vulnerability and one’s hard pressed to think of another outing in the series as labored and joyless as this exercise in sound and fury and emptiness.

Directed by Marc Forster. Movie online here

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